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Neurosurgery Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Look for Procedures Inclusive in Corpectomy

Published on Tue Nov 15, 2011

Question: Through anterior approach to the lumbar spine at L3 toS1, our surgeon did diskectomy L3-S1, bilateral foraminotomies L3-S1, partial corpectomies L3-S1, interbody arthrodesis with implantation of peek cage and morselized allograft L3-S1, and arthrodesis with titanium screws L3-S1.How do we report this procedure? Can we bill the corpectomy as it basically done to prepare space for implantation of cage?Florida SubscriberAnswer: When you refer to corpectomy as preparing the space for implantation of the cage, it is unlikely that more than one third of the vertebral body was removed, precluding use of the corpectomy codes 63090 (Vertebral corpectomy [vertebral body resection], partial or complete, transperitoneal or retroperitoneal approach with decompression of spinal cord, cauda equina or nerve root[s], lower thoracic, lumbar, or sacral; single segment) and 63091 (Vertebral corpectomy [vertebral body resection], partial or complete, transperitoneal or retroperitoneal approach with decompression of spinal cord, cauda equina or nerve root[s], lower [...]
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